Former Macomb County band teacher won't fight sex charge

A former male music teacher will not dispute allegations that he had sex with female student and tried to tamper with evidence regarding explicit texts exchanged with her and two other girls.

Christopher Skebo, 29, of Sterling Heights, pleaded no contest Thursday to five of nine counts he was charge with: third-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of communicating with another person to commit a computer crime, tampering with evidence and child sexually abusive activity. Expected to be dismissed in the plea deal are one count each of tampering, using a computer to commit a crime, child sexually abusive activity and gross indecency between a male and female.

He faces a Jan. 4 sentencing by Judge Mary Chrzanowski in Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.

Skebo’s attorney, Richard Marcil, said Skebo likely faces at least three years in prison but wanted to resolve the matter. Skebo, a talented musician and composer, got married earlier this year, he said.

“We’re glad for the opportunity to put it behind him, and it gives him an opportunity to spend the holidays with his family. It’s fortunate the way the timing worked,” Marcil said. “He made a huge mistake but has a bright future in front of him.”

Skebo has been in therapy, he said.

“He’s making a serious effort to turn his life around,” he said.

Skebo was a substitute music teacher Stephenson High School in Sterling Heights, part of Utica Community Schools, and Tower High School in Warren. He had sex with a 17-year-old student at his home Feb. 4 and exchanged explicit photographs and video with two other students, a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old, from early January to early February, according to police. The investigation started when police learned of his alleged texts to a 17-year-old girl at Tower, in Warren Woods Public Schools.

The evidence-tampering charges are related to Skebo allegedly trying to erase or telling his accusers to erase text messages, police said.

School officials and the company through which he was hired immediately suspended Skebo.

He will have to register as a sex offender.

Skebo, who plays several instruments, has performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival, and in 2011 was awarded the “Outstanding Classical Composer” award at the Detroit Music Awards. Skebo, who earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and composition from Wayne State University, has written dance music for WSU, Mills College and the Rapid Decent Dance Company. He was the founder of Little Grey Cat Records.